[Afridig] Event: Automating the Transcription of Handwritten Documents with the Careful Recall (Caracal) HTR Pipeline

Davis, Stephen srda227 at g.uky.edu
Tue Jun 10 17:21:43 SAST 2025


Automating the Transcription of Handwritten Documents with the Careful
Recall (Caracal) HTR Pipeline

Robben Island Gateway, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa

(via Zoom: https://uky.zoom.us/j/85820724015)

Wednesday, July 9, 2025, 11:00AM-12:30PM, SAST (UTC +2)

Join us for the official launch of Careful Recall (Caracal), a new
Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR) pipeline purpose-built for archival and
heritage institutions. Originally developed to process collections of
handwritten letters, Caracal combines precision and adaptability, offering
a practical solution for transcribing and managing handwritten historical
materials.  Automating transcription offers new search capabilities and the
application of natural language processing methods.

This presentation will introduce Caracal through a comprehensive overview,
beginning with the project’s history and the archival challenges that
motivated its creation. We will present the rationale for its development,
followed by a deep dive into the pipeline’s core functionality, its current
limitations, and how it balances accuracy with usability. A live
demonstration will showcase Caracal in action, illustrating its ability to
streamline transcription workflows.

Finally, we will walk through how Caracal can be integrated into day-to-day
practices in archives, libraries, heritage institutions, and community
organizations. From initial digitization to searchable text outputs,
Caracal is designed to support the ongoing work of preserving and making
the handwritten past accessible.
The event is free and open to the public.

Programme

11:00-11:05 - Moderator, Stanley Sello, Director, Marumo Digital
[Introduction]

11:05-11:25 - Stephen Davis, Associate Professor, University of Kentucky
[History, Design and Rationale]

11:25-11:45 - William Mattingly, Cultural Heritage Data Scientist, Yale
University [Functionality, Accuracy and Limits]

11:45-12:05 - Ayanda Woji, Acting Chief Heritage Officer, Robben Island
Museum [Integration and Use in Archival Settings]

12:05-12:30 - Questions and Answers

Zoom

Topic: Automating the Transcription of Handwritten Documents with the
Careful Recall (Caracal) HTR Pipeline

Time: Jul 9, 2025 11:00 AM Johannesburg

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https://uky.zoom.us/j/85820724015

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-- 


Stephen R Davis
Associate Professor
Department of History
University of Kentucky
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